Ookami Loyalty
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: "This is all your fault, you know," I told him. "Me! Why is it my fault!" he demanded. "Because you couldn't resist the big bad wolf," I smirked. Yaoi, Lemons, Mpreg, Yamachi, AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so, I know that this is yet another Yamachi fic, but hear me out. My flash drive decided to glitch all of my Digimon fics, so I had to delete the folder they were on and re-write all of them, and it sucks. I hope this turns out to be a good fic for you guys. It will be mostly Yamato's POV, and starts off with him, but some will be Taichi's. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Ookami Loyalty

Chapter 1

I trekked through the snow of the quiet forest, searching for a meal. I hadn't eaten in nearly two weeks, and it didn't help that I was a loner. If I was still with my pack, this wouldn't be an issue. I barely made it through the last winter, after all, and I was starving by now. A sudden scrabbling caught my attention, and my ears twitched so I could tell where it was coming from. Turning my head, I spotted a white rabbit digging at a little patch of grass. Silently, I padded towards the rabbit, but right before I could pounce, the wind changed, and the rabbit caught my scent. It bolted, and I dashed after it with a snarl, desperate for food. Right as I was about to catch it in my jaws, however, it dashed into its burrow, too deep for me to get to it.

'_Dammit!_' I let out a frustrated growl, my tail swishing back and forth angrily. With a stomp of one of my paws, I stormed off so I could find another meal. As I walked, I thought, once again, about my old pack.

My name is Yamato, and I am an ookami. Ookamis are wolves that can change into a human form, and maintain it for extended periods of time. However, when in human form, we always keep our ears and tails. Anyway, I belonged to a pack two years ago, and the new alpha kicked me out when the old one died. He claimed I was a threat to the pack, but I knew the truth: Xemnas knew I was a threat to him, and that I could kill him and become alpha if I wanted to. My younger brother, Takeru, was too submissive to be a threat to him, so he was allowed to stay. So I left my pack without argument, knowing Takeru could be hurt if I tried to fight.

Night began to fall, and I struggled to keep my eyes open. The exhaustion and severe hunger were finally starting to hit, and I collapsed, unable to keep going. At this rate, I would either freeze to death, or die of starvation.

'_No…not yet…I can't…_' I whimpered as the dark veil of unconsciousness fell over me, and the snow fell harder.

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

My team and I struggled through the deep snow, trying to hurry back to the cabin from our day of research. I noticed my younger sister, Hikari, stumble slightly as she climbed up a small pile of rocks, and quickly hurried over to her.

"You okay?" I asked, giving her a quick once-over.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Taichi," she assured me. I nodded, and then I heard one of my team members call out from ahead of us.

"Come on, you two! We're going to be stuck in this blizzard if we don't hurry!" Sora called.

"We're coming, Sora!" I shouted back to the redhead. We hurried ahead, taking the lead, but then I stumbled over something in the snow, falling face-first on the ground with a yelp.

"Taichi! Are you okay?" Hikari wailed as she rushed over to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tripped over something…" I muttered, but then I caught a glimpse of golden fur in the snow. "Huh?"

"What's wrong, Taichi?" my sister asked as I crawled over to the source. I began to brush the snow off, and gasped in shock as I realized what it was.

"Hikari, it's a wolf!" I gasped.

"Taichi, I don't think that's just a wolf," she whispered, causing me to glance at her curiously. "It's an ookami. Just look at his fur! That's not a normal color."

"Hikari, we have to help him," I told her firmly. By this time, the other research team members had gathered around us.

"But Taichi, what if he tries to kill us when he wakes up?" Joe demanded.

"Dammit, it won't," I snapped. "I'll keep everyone safe, I promise."

"Taichi, you know those legends of ookamis becoming loyal to humans who help them aren't true," Sora murmured.

"I don't care. I'm going to save this ookami, and that's final," I growled, and heaved the large wolf onto my back. It was lighter than I'd thought it would be, and I grunted as I situated it. "Let's go." Against her better judgment, Hikari helped me through the snow, and eventually we made it back to the cabin.

"Hey you guys! I'm glad you made it back okay!" Izzy, one of our other team members, grinned when he saw us. But then he spotted the ookami on my back. "What the hell is that?!"

"It's an ookami," I told him, and he paled.

"Why did you bring one back?! How did you find him?!" he yelped.

"I literally stumbled over him," I answered with a small shrug. "And I want to help him. Don't question it, either." Izzy nodded, still pale in the face, and I left to my room, where I started up the electric blanket and the space heater. Carefully, I placed the ookami on the rug, and then toweled him off with a couple of towels from my bathroom before covering him with the electric blanket. We have wind and solar powered generators, after all. As he warmed up, I left to the kitchenette, where I grabbed a steak from the fridge which was left over from the last hunting trip, and brought it back to my room.

"Don't worry, big guy. I'll make sure you'll be okay," I murmured to him, stroking his head lightly.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I began to feel warmth. It was all over me, and it felt good. I hadn't felt this warm since the summer months, and it was nice. Suddenly, something in my brain clicked, and I realized there was no way I could possibly be this warm in the dead of winter. My eyes snapped open, and I looked about wildly, not recognizing my surroundings. There were wooden walls around me, and I was covered with some kind of strange material. I could hear steady breathing nearby, but I recognized the scent as a human's. I had been captured.

Leaping to my paws and flattening my ears against my skull, I bristled and snarled at the human that sat nearby as I backed into a corner, and he immediately gained a fear-scent. It soon died down, but he watched me with a certain confidence that I liked.

'_Where am I?! Who are you?!_' I demanded of him via telepathy. Upon my communicating to him, I could tell he was shocked I could speak, but then he answered me.

"My name is Taichi Yagami, and you're at my cabin, in my bedroom," he told me. "And I saved you from freezing in the blizzard." I stilled at that, realizing my fate now lies with this human. As I sat back down, my nostrils caught the scent of fresh meat.

'_What's that smell?_' I inquired, sniffing for the source. Chuckling, Taichi pulled out a slab of raw meat, and I felt my mouth begin to water.

"I brought this in here for when you woke up," he explained. "You felt really light when I picked you up, so I knew you had to be starving. Figured you'd like something to eat when you woke up." He handed it to me, and I gently took it from his hand, and then tore into it once it was on the floor. "Hungry, eh?"

'_More like starving. I haven't eaten in two weeks until now,_' I replied. '_It's difficult when I don't live in a pack._'

"Why don't you live with a pack?" he asked me. Shaking my head to tear into the meat, I heard rustling and voices from outside of the bedroom, as Taichi had called it.

'_Are there others with you?_' I questioned first. He seemed surprised, but nodded. '_Then I'll explain to all of you humans. It will be easier that way._' Looking about, I added, '_I'll need some clothes. I can shift into human form, and it'll be simpler to speak that way when I share my story._'

"What's your name, ookami?" Taichi said, getting up to get me some clothes.

'_Yamato,_' I replied. He handed me a pair of pants and a shirt, and I motioned with my head for him to look the other way. The brunette complied, and I shifted into my human form, which I hadn't used in quite a while. It had been a few years, to say the least. With unsteady hands, I pulled on the pants and shirt, and then spoke.

"I'm dressed, Taichi," I told him. My voice sounded different than it had a few years ago, but I would adjust. He turned back to see me, and I could tell he was pleasantly surprised. After all, when in human form, I retain my ears and tail, but otherwise I looked completely human. I blinked once at him, and he jumped a little.

"Sorry, I'll get the others," he nodded, and walked out with me following. "Hey guys! Come on out to the living room!" There were some grumbles, which made my ears twitch irritably, but then the other humans came out of their rooms. They all stared at me like deer in headlights; some of them wary, the rest panicked.

"Taichi, who is that?" a brunette girl whispered.

"My name is Yamato," I answered before Taichi could. "I'm an ookami, and I am now loyal to Taichi because he saved me from dying out in the blizzard."

"So the legends are true?" a boy with rusty-red hair said.

"Yes, any ookami saved from death by a human becomes loyal to that human," I confirmed, flicking one ear.

"Yamato, I'd like to introduce you to my research team," Taichi smiled at me, and began to indicate who was who as he spoke. "That's Hikari, my younger sister, Izzy, our team tech geek, Sora, and Joe."

"It's nice to meet you all," I greeted, bowing my head slightly.

"So, Taichi, what's the big hurry?" Sora asked.

"I asked Yamato why he wasn't in a pack, and he heard you guys and wanted to explain to us all," the brunette answered. "So let's sit in front of the fire and let him tell his story." Everyone complied, and we all gathered in front of the fire, but only Taichi sat next to me. Hikari sat on the other side of her brother, and then I began to tell my story.

"I was kicked out of my pack two years ago," I began. "When the last alpha died, Xemnas, one of the pack members, was chosen to become the new alpha, and he decided to kick me out as soon as he got the position in our pack. He threatened me that if I fought against his decision, he would harm my younger brother, Takeru, and he's too submissive to fight back. I know why he kicked me out, though. He knows I can overthrow him and become alpha if I want. But anyway, I have been travelling on my own for two years, and I want to see my brother again. I want my pack back. And I need help."

"How do you plan to get help?" Joe asked.

"I wish to have Taichi help me," I murmured, lowering my ears. Glancing at him, I could tell he wanted to help me, but when I saw Hikari's face, I knew she would try and prevent him from leaving at all costs.

"I'll help you out, Yamato," he smiled, and I nodded.

"Thank you," I told him, giving a small smile of my own.

"Taichi, you can't! It's too dangerous!" Hikari protested.

"I'm going to go, Hikari. He's my friend now, and I'm not going to abandon him," the older brunette said firmly.

"Then I'm coming with," she declared, and her tone left no room for argument.

"But what about us, Taichi?" Sora demanded. "You can't just ditch us in the middle of our research!"

"I know you guys can continue on your own for now," Taichi grinned. "I believe in you." With a resigned sigh, his team members nodded.

"All right, we'll hold down the fort until you guys return," Izzy sighed.

"Thank you again, Taichi. And thanks to you, too, Hikari," I told the siblings.

"You're welcome, Yamato," Taichi smiled at me. Hikari just nodded, not saying anything. There were a few yawns from the others, and Taichi laughed lightly. "All right, gang, let's get some sleep. Yamato, Hikari, and I will leave tomorrow morning to find his pack."

"Goodnight, Taichi!" the group chimed, and I stretched before shifting back to my wolf form. I felt their awed gazes on me as I returned to Taichi's bedroom, and smirked to myself. This would be a fun journey.

A/N: I hope you guys like this story so far! I know I do! R&R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This is a fun fic to write! I likes it! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Ookami Loyalty

Chapter 2

I woke up early the next morning, and raised my head from the rug I had slept on overnight. Yawning, I stood and made my way out of his room and outside to watch the early sunrise. Upon hearing a sneeze, however, I looked to see Hikari sitting on a wooden chest outside, shivering.

'_You'll catch a cold if you stay out here like that,_' I thought to her, and she jumped, shocked.

"Yamato!" she gasped. "You scared the living hell out of me!"

'_Didn't mean to,_' I shrugged, and lay down in front of her. '_Why are you out here so early?_'

"Why are you?"

'_To watch the sunrise,_' I replied simply.

"Same here," she murmured.

'_You sound like something's on your mind. Care to share? I may be able to help,_' I asked, looking up at her and twitching my ears while wagging my tail a bit.

"I'm just worried about Taichi on this trip," she whispered. "I don't want him to be hurt…"

'_Even though I barely know him, I can tell he's strong. He'll get through this just like anything else tough he may have experienced in his life,_' I assured her.

"You're right, he's very strong," she smiled. "He's a great leader to our team, too, and an even better big brother."

'_Sounds like it,_' I chuckled. We became quiet for a few minutes, and then I looked back up at her. '_Hikari, come down here with me. I'll keep you warmer than sitting on that chest._' The young brunette looked at me, surprised, and then slowly climbed down and sat down in the snow, leaning against my side. '_Better?_'

"Yeah, you're nice and warm," she giggled. She then lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry I thought so badly of you, Yamato. From our research, we've learned that many people that become friends with ookamis typically die early deaths. But now I know you're not like that."

'_What do you all research?_' I asked.

"We research and study mythical creatures, and ookamis are one of them," she answered. "We've studied for years on various creatures, and we got a tip about kitsunes here in the forest, but we never expected to find an ookami."

'_Well, you're correct in following that tip on kitsunes. There are some that live here,_' I confirmed.

"Really?! Do you think Taichi and I could meet them?" she asked eagerly.

'_Of course. I'll take you by there before we find my pack,_' I promised with a small smile. '_You know, you actually remind me of Takeru, Hikari. I know he'd love to meet you._'

"You think so?" she said, her tone doubtful.

'_I know so,_' I nodded.

That's when the first rays of the sunrise began to peek on the horizon, and we watched it in silence. Once the sun had risen completely, we got up and headed back inside, where Taichi was searching for us.

"There you two are! I was afraid you'd left without me!" he laughed.

"We were just out watching the sunrise," Hikari assured her brother.

"Well, let's eat, and then we'll head out once everything is packed up," he told us, and grinned at me before heading to another area of the living room and pulling another piece of meat out of a big white box. He handed it to me, and I ate it happily. I was so glad to be getting food again, which meant my strength would be back when we found my old pack.

Soon after the three of us ate, Taichi and Hikari began to pack some supplies into their packs, including food, a couple of guns, ammo, matches, warm clothes, sleeping bags, a couple of knives, and some of their research supplies. I waited patiently by the front door until they were ready.

"Hey Yamato, we're set to go!" Taichi told me, and I nodded.

'_I hope you'll be okay with a lot of walking in this snow,_' I thought to him warningly.

"Don't worry, we'll manage," he assured me. "Hikari shared with me that we're going to find some kitsunes first?"

'_Yes, I'll lead you to them. I have a couple of friends who are kitsunes. One is very stealthy, and the other…not so much,_' I chuckled. '_I should be able to track them easily once we reach their territory._'

"All right, lead the way, Yamato," Taichi said, and I nodded before nudging the door open and making my way through the now-deep snow. After that blizzard last night, the snow had become deeper, and I could no longer smell any trace of myself from the night before.

We traveled what was probably eight miles through the snow for almost the whole day, the humans occasionally stumbling over an unseen rock or something, but they managed quite well, I must admit. Eventually, we made it to the edge of the kitsune's territory.

'_Be careful here, Taichi and Hikari,_' I warned. '_Kitsunes don't take too lightly to intruders, and they have many tricks and traps set up here. Whatever you do, try and stay close._' The pair nodded, and we carefully made our way through. As we walked, I sniffed the air, trying to detect either Riku or Sora, my two kitsune friends. I kept my senses on high alert, inhaling slowly to taste the air, my ears twitching often, my blue eyes darting around to try and catch any movement, and my nose sharp.

A sudden snap of a twig caught my attention, and my head shot up from the ground. I stilled, trying to tell which direction it came from, and then there was a small, nearly silent hiss. Smirking, I thought to my human friends, '_Stay here, I'll be right back. And don't move._' They nodded, and I bounded off through the snow in the direction in had come from. As I got closer, I noticed a pair of blue eyes against a dead tree that quickly shut when I spotted them.

'_Come now, Sora. You can't have forgotten about me so easily, right?_' I thought to him, and a part of the dead tree moved as if startled.

'_Yamato?_' the kitsune thought back to me in shock. I nodded with a smile, and the brown fox bounded over to me happily. '_You're alive? How? Last I heard, you were dead!_'

'_Well, I'm alive, as you can see. Where's Riku?_' I asked.

'_Right here,_' a silver fox told me, joining us. '_What brings you to kitsune territory after so long?_'

'_I have a couple of human friends who wish to see kitsunes. They won't harm you; they just probably have some questions. I'm loyal to one of them now, seeing as he saved me from the blizzard last night,_' I explained.

'…_All right, bring us to them,_' Riku nodded.

'_Thanks, guys. We may return here later if our plan goes awry,_' I added. Upon seeing their inquisitive looks, I elaborated. '_I plan to return to my pack and kill Xemnas. Once he's dead, I can take over as alpha. Besides, I wish to be with Takeru again._'

'_Then you're more than welcome to hide out here if things go sour,_' Riku assured me.

'_Thank you, my friend,_' I smiled, and then led them back to where Taichi and Hikari were waiting. 'I'm back, and I brought my friends.'

"These are real kitsune?!" Hikari gasped, and then Sora and Riku shifted to their human forms. Fortunately, they already wore clothes, which stick with them when they shift. Kitsunes go into town often for supplies for their traps, and for medicines.

"Yeah, we're actual kitsune," Riku smirked. "My name is Riku, and this is my mate, Sora."

"Nice to meet you!" Sora chirped, shaking hands with them both.

"My name is Taichi, and this is my younger sister, Hikari," Taichi greeted, smiling at Sora's infectious grin. That young kitsune has a way of making others happy, that's for certain.

"Yamato tells us you have some questions about kitsunes?" Riku said questioningly.

"Yes, and I'm very eager to find out as much as I can!" Hikari giggled. As she, Taichi, and Sora began to talk, Riku pulled me aside for speak to me.

'_What's up, Riku?_' I asked him.

"I think Taichi is the one for you," he murmured, keeping an eye on the chatting group and twitching his ears. I stared at him for a few seconds, and then snorted in disbelief.

'_You're joking, right? A human as my possible mate?_' I replied doubtfully.

"You know about the possibility of changing, especially since you're an ookami, Yamato," he pointed out. "Don't push away the possibility. I can tell there's something there between you two. Even though you haven't spoken to each other since you got here, I know you. You would have normally pitched a fit about being with humans, and yet, you haven't argued with them at all."

'_You're right,_' I nodded. '_These ones are different, I guess. All the humans I've seen before, though, tried to shoot me without knowing what I was first. Taichi and Hikari didn't. They saved me, or rather, Taichi did, and so I am loyal to him._'

"Look, if you really don't want him to leave when this is all over, considering once you kill Xemnas you can't leave since you'll be alpha, just change him. I'm sure that Takeru would like that Hikari girl, and he may change her, too," the silverette shrugged.

'_Fine. I'll only do it if push comes to shove, though,_' I growled, and then I turned to head back to the others. I felt Riku's gaze on me as I walked back, and noticed his smirk as I sat obediently next to Taichi. Giving him a pointed look, I rolled my eyes at him, and thought to myself about what Riku had said about Taichi possibly becoming my mate.

If I did do that, he wouldn't be able to leave me later, seeing as there would be no way normal humans would accept an ookami as part of society. They would probably be selfish and try to keep him for cruel experiments. And Riku was right; if, no, **when** I kill Xemnas, I'll become alpha, and I can't leave my pack so I can follow Taichi as a loyal ookami. But I also know that I won't be able to bear him leaving me. Now that I'm his ookami, we're bonded. There's no way we can separate for too long without going mad from the separation. I'd heard of it happening before, so I was scared of it happening to either Taichi or myself.

"Yamato?" I snapped out of my thoughts to see Taichi watching me. "What's on your mind? You seemed bothered by something."

'_It's nothing you need to worry about right now, Taichi,_' I assured him. Glancing at the setting sun, I added, '_Maybe we should stay here for the night. It's starting to become dark, and Xemnas won't be allowed in the kitsune's territory, so we'll be safe in one of the caves here._'

"Why aren't they allowed here?" Hikari asked.

"Because Xemnas has attacked and killed some kitsunes in the past," Riku growled, clenching his fists at the thought. "So whenever he enters, we know, and we all attack him and anyone who follows him."

"Good idea," Taichi nodded.

"Come on, I'll show you the warmest cave in the territory!" Sora crowed, and shifted into fox form before bounding off ahead of us. Riku sighed with a small smile, and then shifted as well before leading us at a slower pace than Sora and his limitless energy.

X*X(Later That Night)X*X

Taichi and Hikari were sleeping against me for extra warmth as we lay in front of the fire. Sora and Riku had volunteered to take shifts guarding the entrance for us, which we were grateful for. Currently, Sora was sleeping nearby me, and Riku was outside on his shift for the watch. I watched Taichi's sleeping form as he shifted a bit, and felt a surge of possession rush through me. I want him as mine, and once I become alpha, he **will** be mine.

Paw steps from the cave's entrance indicated Riku's return. He gave me a sympathetic smile, as though he knew what I was going through.

'_Everything's clear right now. I got a fox fire message saying that nothing has been detected, and I can sleep now,_' he informed me.

'_Thanks for everything, Riku,_' I told him gratefully. He nodded, and then curled up with Sora before I spoke again. '_Riku… How did you know you were in love with Sora?_'

'_You think you may already be falling for Taichi?_' he asked. With a hesitant look, I nodded. '_Well, one of the ways I knew was that I was physically attracted to him. I also felt a powerful urge to protect him, keep him safe, and care about his well-being. Another way I knew was that I felt the urge to tell him I love him, but couldn't bring myself to do it out of fear of him not loving me back and possibly ruining our friendship. It was only when he slipped up and told me on accident that he loves me that I decided to tell him._'

'_I…don't know for certain if I love Taichi,_' I admitted. '_I want for him to be mine, I want to keep him safe and protect him, and I care about him already, especially seeing as he stood up for me around the other humans he was with… and there's something that draws me to him, if that even makes sense._'

'_It makes plenty of sense, Yamato,_' Riku assured me. '_Sora and I have been friends since we were little, so I can't quite empathize, but I understand what you mean._'

'_I just…I don't want to scare him when I change him, but it's going to be unavoidable,_' I sighed.

'_Just try and be understanding when the change is complete, and be there to support him,_' the silverette advised. I nodded, and then rested my head on my paws before going to sleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke up later when I heard the small clatter of a rock falling against the rock pile that led up to the cave. Raising my head, I quietly growled, carefully getting up so as not to disturb my human friends. Thankfully, the fire was still lit, providing them with warm

'_Yamato? What's wrong?_' Sora asked, and I motioned my head to the entrance of the cave.

'_I heard something outside. Hurry and wake Taichi and Hikari, just in case,_' I told him, and his blue eyes widened, but he calmly and gently woke up his mate and my friends, informing them of what was going on. As I crept closer to the cave entrance, a sudden snarl ripped through the air, and I was pounced on by a blue-furred wolf. '_Saix!_' I snarled at him, kicking him off of me.

"What's going on?!" Taichi shouted.

'_It's Saix, Xemnas's mate!_' Sora wailed. '_Why's he here?!_'

'_I'm here to kill you for Xemnas, seeing as you appear to be attempting to bring a fight to us,_' Saix sneered. '_He decided to have me bring the fight to you!_' With that, four of the other members of my old pack stalked into the cave, even…Takeru…

'_Takeru…_' I breathed, staring at him.

"Yamato! Look out!" Hikari screamed, and I leapt out of the way of Xigbar, a grey and black ookami with one eye. With a yelp, he smacked into Larxene, another blonde ookami with two strands of hair that stuck up and slicked back along her head like a pair of antennae.

'_Stay out of this, foolish human!_' Saix barked, swiping at her with his paw as she stepped away.

'_Hikari, get away with Taichi, now!_' I ordered, but Taichi shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you, Yamato!" he argued. "You're loyal to me, right? Then I'm loyal to you, too!"

'_T-Taichi…_' I breathed.

"Come at me, mutts!" he yelled, brandishing his knife. Xigbar gave a malicious grin, licking his chops, as he slowly approached the brunette.

'_Don't touch him!_' I growled, and tackled Xigbar hard, clamping my jaws down on his left front leg. He howled in pain from the bite, and then fell silent as I smacked him into the rock wall roughly. '_Who's next?!_' I snarled, glaring at the rest.

'_Die, traitor!_' Saix hissed, slamming into me with his claws digging into my side. I fell to the cave floor with a pained yelp, but immediately afterwards felt the pressure of him removed from being on top of me. Looking up, I was shocked to see Takeru attacking Saix.

'_Takeru!_' I gasped.

'_Run, now! I'll hold them off!_' he ordered.

'_No, I'm not leaving you again!_' I argued. In a blur, a bunch of kitsune streamed into the cave, attacking the ookamis from my old pack mercilessly.

'_Go, now!_' one of them shouted at us, and we all took the hint and fled. Sora and Riku darted ahead, leading us to safety. We ran after them, and I paused once we were out of the cave.

'_Taichi, on my back, now! It'll be faster this way!_' I barked, and he nodded, climbing onto my back. '_Takeru, please let Hikari onto your back. She won't hurt you, I promise._'

'_I trust you, Yamato, and your friends,_' he nodded, and crouched down slightly to allow Hikari onto his back. As soon as she was situated, we took off after Sora and Riku, dashing through the snow-covered forest to a safe place. I noticed Takeru starting to slow down after a while, and called ahead to my kitsune friends.

'_Sora, Riku, Takeru's starting to slow. I think he may be hurt,_' I told them. Sora nodded to Riku, and the silver kitsune ran ahead.

'_Riku's going ahead to secure a safe place we have, so I'll lead you guys to him once his injury or injuries are tended to,_' he explained. Takeru was panting heavily as he joined us, limping.

'_Takeru, where did Saix get you?_' I asked as he struggled to stay standing.

'_Before we found you all, the blue-furred bastard struck my left flank, which is why I'm limping. When I attacked him, though, he bit my right shoulder,_' Takeru spat bitterly. '_I didn't have the courage to stand up to him until he was about to kill you._'

"Don't worry about it, Takeru," Hikari soothed, getting off of his back and digging through her pack. "I'll wrap those wounds up for you, and apply some medicine to prevent any kind of infection."

'_We have medicine at the safe place,_' Sora piped up. '_I don't mean to rush, but kitsunes can only fight for so long, unlike ookamis, which can fight for much longer._'

'_I'll push through. Just patch me up when we get there,_' Takeru growled. '_I just want to make sure we're all safe, that's all. Go ahead and get back on my back, Hikari._' She complied, and we took off at a swift pace, trying not to run for my little brother's sake. A group of howls sounded in the distance, and I felt my body go numb.

'_Oh no! We need to hurry!_' Sora yelped, and we picked up the pace. Eventually, we barely managed to reach an empty space in the forest. '_This is it. It's a cave, but it's hidden by kitsune magic. Quickly, get inside!_' We nodded and went inside with the brunette kitsune right behind us. As we walked through the concealing barrier, we were able to see the inside of a new cave. Riku was already inside in his human form, preparing a fire pit. He waved us closer, and Hikari was quick to slide off from Takeru's back at the same time as Taichi from mine. The siblings hugged each other briefly, and then Hikari began to dig out bandages from her pack.

"Come here, Takeru," she said kindly, and my brother glanced at me before approaching her. "I'm going to dress your wounds, is that okay?"

'_Yes, that's fine. It won't hurt, will it?_' he asked.

"It might, but only when I clean it up to prevent it from becoming infected," she told him honestly. Hesitantly, he gave a nod, and Sora brought over some bottles.

'_These have natural herbs in them, so it won't sting as much when you clean up the wounds,_' he informed them with a smile.

"Thanks, Sora," Hikari smiled softly.

'_How did they find us, Riku?_' I asked, frustrated that my old pack had been able to get so far into kitsune territory and attack us.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe it was because Xemnas wasn't with them. Remember, our security measures let us know if Xemnas enters our territory, not any ookamis he sends without him."

'_Dammit,_' I growled.

"Don't worry, Yamato. We'll up the security specifically for his followers, as well as Xemnas himself," Riku assured me.

'_Thank you, for everything,_' I told my friend gratefully.

"It's nothing," the silverette said dismissively. "After all, you saved us all those years ago, before Xemnas took over."

"What do you mean?" Taichi asked, crouching next to Riku and lighting the fire pit with a lit match. Waves of heat rolled from the fire, and we all gave a collective sigh of relief at the warmth.

'_I saved Sora and Riku from drowning in a raging river about three years ago, and we've been good friends since then,_' I explained. '_They always feel like they need to return the favor, even though they've done that many times._'

"You know that's not all of it," Riku snorted. "He helped calm me down when I thought Sora was dead, and helped revive him and nurse him back to health after clearing the water from his lungs."

'_Wow, I knew you helped them, Yamato, but I didn't realize you had a soft spot like that,_' Takeru snickered, but then yelped as Hikari dabbed the bite wound on his shoulder with antiseptic.

'_Oh, be quiet, you,_' I grumbled, feeling my face heat up.

"Hey, I'm glad you did because it worked out in our favor, though," Taichi grinned as he sat down next to me. I felt myself relaxing as he settled down, leaning against me for extra warmth.

'_True, very true,_' I smiled. After a few more minutes of quiet, Hikari spoke up.

"All right, you're all done, Takeru. Let me know if you start to get a fever or feel sick," she told my brother, and he nodded.

'_Thank you, Hikari,_' he told her gratefully.

'_So, Takeru, tell me what's been going on with the pack since I was kicked out,_' I said, and he sighed.

'_All right, but it isn't pretty,_' he mumbled.

A/N: Sorry about the cliffy, but I needed to end it there. After all, I was about to make it 8 pages. I'll continue this soon! R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Now for the next chapter! It's really turning out well in my opinion, I must admit. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Ookami Loyalty

Chapter 3

'_What's been happening with the pack, Takeru?_' I pressed.

'_Xemnas has been harsh to everyone since he kicked you out, Yamato,_' my little brother sighed. '_It started a few months after you were forced to leave. One of the pups, Iori, had smacked into Xemnas's leg as he was passing, and that bastard kicked him around, nearly killing him because Iori is so small. His mother got pissed and tried to stop Xemnas, but he attacked and pinned her, warning her to keep her place. Iori has been the omega of the pack ever since he completed his training as a result, unfortunately. There was only so much I could do to help him, but he's always been grateful for my help. Now I'm terrified to know what they'll do to him when we go to challenge Xemnas…_'

'_How did Xemnas know about that, anyway?_' Sora asked.

'_Xigbar,_' was Takeru's simple answer. I nodded, knowing what he meant. Xigbar was one of the stealthiest ookamis in the pack. Of course he would be able to spy on me without my noticing. '_You know how sneaky he is. Anyway, he knew you were planning on returning and taking over, and he informed Xemnas. Xemnas told everyone in the pack, and there were some mutterings about how you could lead better than Xemnas, but that prick threatened that if anyone turned on him in your favor, they would be killed on the spot. He's been starving the pack, feeding only himself, his best fighters, and his guards, and leaving scraps for everyone else. He's become paranoid, Yamato. He knows you're coming, and he's nervous that you'll manage to kill him if you make it past his bodyguards._'

'_Who's guarding him?_' I asked.

'_Lexaeus and Xaldin. Xaldin was very unwilling to do it until Xemnas threatened to harm his sister, Xion, and her pup, Ken,_' Takeru mumbled. '_He's not afraid to hurt the pups, which is what probably scares me the most, Yamato. Gods, Miyako almost fled from the pack to try and find you so you could help, but her sister Mimi and I managed to convince her not to. We didn't want to see her killed by Larxene, Vexen, or Luxord, after all. All of the mated pairs are terrified to mate now, just so Xemnas can't harm any of their future pups, and it's been hard on everyone. And one last thing is that Roxas is starting to become ill with some kind of flu, but Xemnas won't allow Axel, Cloud, Ventus, or Zexion to seek any help for him, nor leave to find medicine._' When my brother finished speaking, I gave a furious and frustrated snarl, stomping one of my paws on the ground with fury.

'_How dare he do that!_' I seethed. Roxas is one of my best friends in the pack, and he was another reason I was reluctant to leave. After all, we had been friends since we were pups. I was thankful he had support there, including his family and mate, and especially the support of the healer ookami, Zexion, but that wouldn't be enough without medicine. '_Roxas is my best friend! Is it because Xemnas wants all supporters of me gone that he won't let Rox get treated?!_'

'_That's exactly it,_' Takeru muttered. '_That low-life won't want anyone to live if they want you as alpha over him._'

'_Then we'll follow you there and support you all the way, Yamato,_' Sora said firmly.

"We'll help any way we can," Riku agreed. "I want to see Xemnas pay for killing some of our kind, and you're the one for the job."

'_Are you certain? What if I ask you to fight with Takeru and me?_' I said.

"Hey! Don't forget about us, Yamato!" Taichi snapped. I stared at him, shocked. "Don't look at me like that. I saved you once, but that won't stop me from always being there for you. Besides, we're friends, aren't we? Friends look out for each other and watch the other's back."

"Taichi's right. After seeing what Saix did to Takeru, and after hearing what's been going on, there's no way we can just stand by and watch," Hikari agreed, a determined light in her eyes. I sighed heavily, knowing there was no way I could do this alone, anyway.

'_All right, we're a team. But we need to come up with a plan,_' I said. 'I need someone who is still there that can help us.' Looking to Riku and Sora, I asked, '_Is Neku still around? Or did he leave for winter like he wanted to?_'

'_No, he decided to remain here for the winter, seeing as he found his mate a few months back,_' Sora grinned. '_I'll send him a fox fire message to come here early tomorrow morning with his mate._'

'_Good, because we'll need all the help we can get,_' I nodded. '_Neku's the best with stealth, better than Xigbar, so he can sneak past the posted guards and help to get the mothers and pups out. Anyone who is willing to fight can stay and help us. Once those who can't or won't fight are safe, then we'll move in._'

"Great idea," Riku smiled. "And I know Joshua, his mate, would love to help. After all, Joshua was orphaned because of Xemnas."

"That's so sad…" Hikari whispered, horrified.

"That's why I know he'll be more than willing to have things change in the ookami pack," the silverette said, giving a bitter smile.

"Well, let's get some sleep. It won't do anyone any good if we're exhausted when we go in for the assault tomorrow," Taichi advised, and everyone nodded.

'_I'll send the message to Neku, and then I'll join you,_' Sora smiled, and he went to the back of the cave, where there was a small opening for him to send the message through. Once the small blue flame was gone through the gap, he rejoined us, curling up with Riku, who had reverted to his fox form, to sleep. Takeru had Hikari lie against him for warmth, that way he wasn't alone, and they could share their body heat. Once everyone was settled, Taichi rested against my side to sleep after I had lain down.

"Yamato, how come you're so comfortable with humans?" he whispered to me. Upon seeing my confused look, he elaborated. "You barely know humans, and yet, once I saved you and told you I had, you trusted me completely."

'…_Because the legend among you humans is true. Ookamis become loyal to the human that saves them,_' I answered. '_That means I will protect you, care for you, keep you out of harm's way, trust your judgment in all you do, and guide you through life so you won't be harmed._'

"Is that any loyal ookami's job?"

'_Yes, but not all ookamis are willing to go as far as that. Those that don't like it do the bare minimum, allowing their human to be killed eventually from their own bad judgment._'

"Is that why there are so many deaths related to loyal ookamis and humans?"

'_Yes, but not all of them died. But that, my friend, is a story for another day. It's past midnight, and we need to get as much sleep as we can,_' I told him, refusing to tell him why the others disappeared until later. Once Xemnas is gone, then I'll tell him.

"All right. Goodnight, Yamato," he mumbled, somewhat nuzzling his face into my fur. I felt my face heat up with a blush as he did so, before resting my head on my paws and going to sleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

"Hey, you guys gotta get up!" a voice shouted into the cave from outside. I barely recognized it, but opened my eyes tiredly and yawned widely.

"I don't think they're awake yet, Neku," an unfamiliar voice said.

"Eh, I know someone in there is. I just heard a yawn," Neku's voice replied to the stranger's.

"If you say so…" the second voice sighed.

'_I'm awake,_' I thought to the pair outside.

"Told ya, Josh," Neku told his mate, and I could hear the smirk in his voice. They came in, the both of them in human form, and I yawned before looking at the other good kitsune friend of mine. Sora and Riku had introduced me to Neku shortly after I had befriended the two, and the ginger and I became fast friends.

'_Heya Neku,_' I greeted him. I nudged Taichi awake with my muzzle, and he stirred, mumbling something. '_Taichi, wake up, Neku and his mate are here,_' I told him, and he finally managed to sit up, yawning widely. He yelped in surprise, however, when he saw Neku and his mate.

"What the—?" he began to say, but I barked a laugh.

'_I just told you Neku and his mate are here, silly,_' I chuckled. He got to his feet, and I stood, stretching before shifting to human form as well. I shivered lightly in the cold air in the cave before approaching my old friend.

"It's been too long, Yamato," Neku said before we hugged briefly.

"Well, every time I've come by, I've been hesitant because I wasn't sure if you would be around," I pointed out. "You're always traveling, after all."

"True, but I've settled down since I met Joshua," he smiled. Wrapping one arm around the ashen blonde next to him, he introduced us to each other. "Joshua, this is a good friend of mine, Yamato. Yamato, this is Joshua, my mate."

"Nice to meet you, Joshua," I greeted, shaking hands with him. His violet eyes sparkled with joy as he smiled.

"It's nice to finally meet you, too, Yamato," he replied. "Nekky's talked about you often, and it's usually about how much he's missed you."

"'Nekky'?" I repeated, amused.

"Don't call me that, Joshua!" Neku snapped, blushing brightly.

"Aw, but it's so cute, Nekky!" Joshua whined.

"Joshua, don't make me force you to stop. You know I'll win," he growled.

"Try me," the ashen blonde smirked. Neku glared at him, and then gave a devilish grin as he approached his mate closely.

"Yoshiya," he whispered in a low, husky voice. Joshua groaned in a needy sort of way, immediately crossing his legs. "I knew it!" the ginger cackled.

"Damn it, Neku!" Joshua hissed, trying to will away his hard-on.

'_What's all the noise…?_' Sora yawned, raising his head at the same time Riku did. The silverette then spotted Joshua, and his obvious 'issue', and quickly ushered Sora outside, muttering something about them getting food for everyone.

"Go outside and get some snow on there, Joshua, before Hikari wakes up," I advised, snickering.

"Damn it all to hell…" the ashen blonde grumbled as he made his way out. There was a three second pause until we burst out laughing on the ground. Even Taichi was laughing his ass off. When we finally collected ourselves, I noticed Takeru and Hikari watching us, confused.

'_What happened?_' Takeru asked, completely puzzled. I went over and whispered it to him, and his face heated up as I told him.

Hikari looked completely bewildered still, so Taichi stood up and whispered in her ear, "Guy issues for Neku's mate." She blushed, knowing what he meant, unfortunately. After a few more minutes, Joshua came back in, completely red in the face and shivering.

"Sorry, Josh, but maybe you shouldn't tease me," Neku snickered, hugging a flustered Joshua. The ashen blonde sighed heavily, calming down, and shortly after the rest of the introductions were made, Sora and Riku returned with some rabbits and a pheasant.

'_Ah, good, everyone's awake,_' Riku commented as he dropped two rabbits by the still-burning fire. '_Joshua, Neku, would you like some breakfast?_'

"Nah, we ate before coming over. Thanks, though, Riku," Neku replied. Taichi was quick to grab a rabbit and begin skinning it with one of his hunting knives he had brought with him. I shifted back to wolf form as Joshua and Neku shifted into their fox forms, and I sat next to Taichi as he skinned the rabbit.

'_You ready for today?_' I asked as he skinned the rabbit.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he murmured, glancing at Hikari.

'_Don't worry about your sister. Takeru's going to protect her. I can tell that he's already become loyal to her,_' I assured him. Upon seeing his curious expression, I explained. '_She bandaged his wounds, and besides, he seems to have taken a shining to her. He'll protect her with all he has._' He nodded in understanding.

"Thank you, Yamato," he told me quietly.

'_Don't thank me, Taichi. I should be thanking you. After all, you've saved my life, and are determined to help me get back into my pack,_' I replied softly. The brunette stroked my head lightly and scratched behind my ears, making me give a pleased rumbling sound in my chest.

'_Seems like you're definitely fond of him,_' Joshua's voice echoed in my thoughts. Glancing around, I knew he had only shared that with me.

'_He doesn't know my plans for him, nor should anyone tell him,_' I growled back, and he gave a small nod in understanding.

'_As you wish,_' he shrugged, and then Taichi withdrew his hand. I gave him a surprised look, but then calmed down when I realized he was just getting his rabbit cooked. When it was fully cooked, he handed some to Hikari, who began to eat it as if she had always eaten rabbit.

'_Did you know humans ate rabbit on a regular basis?_' I asked Takeru, who seemed pleasantly surprised.

'_No, but that just means she'll be better adapted to it when I change her,_' he shrugged.

'_You plan on changing her, too?_' I questioned.

'_Yeah. I assume you're going to change Taichi?_' he guessed. I gave a small nod, and he smiled slightly at me. '_Good. He seems like he'll be a good mate for you._'

'_Thanks, Takeru. Same goes for you and Hikari,_' I told him. He smiled again, and we then went and each grabbed a rabbit. Once everyone was done eating, we got ready to head out. Sora insisted on Hikari packing some of the herbal medicines he had given her the night before, mainly for any one gets injured. He even crammed a cure-all herb in a bottle, and made Hikari pack that to cure Roxas's flu.

'_Is everyone ready?_' I asked. There were nods from everyone, and I looked at Takeru and Neku. '_You guys will need to go on ahead, seeing as Neku doesn't know where the pack lives, and he'll start guiding the mothers and pups out to safety to Takeru, as well as anyone else who can't or won't fight. Once they're all safe, you two will rejoin us, and we'll begin our assault. Neku, if possible, try and find out where Xemnas is hiding, because I highly doubt he'll be in the alpha's den._'

'_I can manage that,_' the ginger-furred fox smirked.

'_What about me?_' Joshua demanded. '_I'm as stealthy as Neku is!_'

'_You can help Neku,_' I told him. '_Just remember not to get caught, and be careful. Once everyone is safe, create a distraction for the guards, and then the Riku and Sora will join you while Takeru, Hikari, Taichi, and I move in._'

Everyone nodded in understanding, and then Takeru ran on ahead, leading Neku and Joshua to the hollow cliff face where my pack resides. Taichi and Hikari followed close with Riku and Sora, and as we trekked through the snow, I picked up on Taichi whispering to Riku. I could tell it was a private conversation, but I couldn't resist tuning in.

"So, Riku, do you think Yamato likes me? As more than friends?" Taichi whispered. Riku could tell that I was listening, and allowed me in on his part.

'_I don't know for certain, but I can tell you that there's a possibility,_' the silverette replied.

"You really think I stand a chance?" the brunette breathed.

'_Of course,_' the kitsune nodded. '_Judging by how he's not put up a fight by having to be with you, and how he's been doing his best to protect you, I would say you absolutely have a chance._'

"What do you mean?"

'_Yamato's been shot at by humans before during hunting seasons, so he doesn't actually trust any,_' Riku explained. '_So when he told me he had brought you and your sister to ask us questions, I was pleasantly surprised. There's something about you, anyway, that I can sense draws Yamato closer._'

"Have a human and an ookami ever been together like that?"

'_I don't know the details, but I have heard of it happening. It's not completely uncommon._'

"Ah, okay. Thanks anyway, Riku," Taichi thanked him quietly. I could tell the brunette was dying to know what the details were, but I wouldn't allow him to find out until I was about to change him.

'_Thanks for not telling him the details, Riku,_' I told my friend in a private conversation between us.

'_It's no big deal, Yamato,_' he shrugged. '_I know that you plan on changing him so you two can be together, and that that's why most humans are claimed to have died or gone missing when partnered with ookamis._'

'_Still, I'm grateful you didn't tell him,_' I insisted.

'_I wouldn't tell him when it's not my place, you and I both know that,_' he chuckled. I nodded, and we all continued on in silence. We eventually reached the scent markers for their territory, and I stopped.

'_We're gonna have to take the tunnels that Takeru and I found when we were younger,_' I told them. '_They lead into the heart of the dens, where we can sneak inside without being caught. Once Neku and Joshua create the distraction, Takeru will join us from another entrance. He already knows to join us, thankfully, so he'll be quick. I'll lead the way through the tunnels._'

Upon hearing the group's murmured agreements, I led the way to the nearest tunnel that didn't break through the scent markers. I finally found one, and nudged Sora, Hikari, Riku, and Taichi inside, and then I climbed down as well, landing neatly on my paws.

'_Whatever you do, keep quiet and stay close,_' I instructed, and I faintly heard the shift in Hikari's and Taichi's clothes as they nodded. I sniffed my way along, and as we walked, I was barely able to detect a few of the familiar scents of some of my pack mates making their way to safety through the tunnels. I couldn't recognize them all due to the long time I hadn't smelled my old pack members, but I would reacquaint myself with them all when this was over.

Suddenly, there was some scuffling ahead of us, from a branched-off tunnel, and then Takeru joined us. He looked at us, surprised, and then gave me his report.

'_Neku and Joshua got everyone who needed to escape out, and have distracted Larxene and Luxord,_' he informed me. '_Unfortunately, Vexen fled to inform Xemnas of his siblings' running off after Neku and Joshua, so he's got Lexaeus and Xaldin on their highest guard while he hides with Saix. Zexion knows we're coming, and I told him about Taichi and Hikari helping us. He understands, and warned the others in the sick den._'

'_Do you know where they're hiding?_' I asked. My brother shook his head.

'_No, but I'm sure Xaldin will tell us once he knows Xion and Ken are safe,_' he assured me. I nodded, and we continued our way to the sick den. That was the first place we needed to stop, seeing as Roxas needed the herb that Sora had brought. When we reached the spot, Takeru pushed gently at the rock that blocked our way into the sick den, making a scraping sound. There was a short pause, and then the rock was moved aside.

'_Takeru? Is that you?_' came Zexion's voice.

'_Nope, it's Yamato,_' I chuckled, heaving myself up through the hole.

'_It's good to see you're here and alive,_' the slate-furred ookami smiled slightly.

'_Yamato?!_' Roxas's voice gasped, and I looked to see my friend from when we were pups staring at me in complete shock before he broke out into a coughing fit. Sora quickly scrabbled out of the hole next, and darted over to the blonde ookami. Suddenly, a red ookami blocked the kitsune, growling.

'_What the hell do you think you're doing?!_' he demanded of Sora.

'_Axel, calm down. Sora has a cure-all herb for Roxas to help him get better,_' I growled softly. I didn't want to draw Xemnas's attention to the sick den.

'_Yamato?!_' Axel yelped, and then quickly apologized to Sora before letting him past. '_How'd you get inside? Even past Larxene and Luxord?_'

'_A couple of kitsune friends helped distract them,_' I explained. '_And we used some old tunnels Takeru and I discovered as pups._'

'_Well, it's good to see you again,_' the redhead grinned. '_Roxas has been really worried about you. He's missed his best friend._'

Looking at Roxas, I sighed, '_I missed him, too. But now I'm back, and I'm going to take over as alpha._'

'_I'm right behind ya, Yamato. All the way,_' Axel promised with a smirk. '_Come on, I'm sure he's aching to talk to you._'

'_We heard from Takeru that Roxas hadn't been doing well, so Sora brought a cure-all herb to get Roxas better,_' I told him.

'_That kitsune I tried to stop earlier?_' he guessed. I nodded, and he sighed. '_Sorry, I thought he was going to try and hurt Roxas._'

'_Sora wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had to. And besides, he and Riku are two of my kitsune friends. The other two, Neku and Joshua, are the ones that distracted Larxene and Luxord,_' I explained. Axel nodded in understanding as we went over to Roxas.

'_Hey Roxy, how are you feeling?_' the redhead asked, nuzzling his mate as the blonde coughed a little.

'_I think I'm starting to feel better,_' he murmured, and then looked up at me from where he was lying. '_Yamato? Why are you back? Xemnas is going to kill you if he sees you!_'

'_I'm taking over as alpha, Rox,_' I informed him with a smile. '_So don't worry about me. Besides, I have supporters, like Axel, who will help me get to Xemnas._'

'_I heard Xemnas last night, though,_' he sighed. '_He was fucking livid that you, Takeru, and the others with you escaped from Saix, Xigbar, Larxene, and Marluxia. And now he's beyond paranoid._'

'_Don't worry, Roxas. I'll change things around here once I become alpha,_' I assured him. '_And I'll have help, too. Want to meet the guy who saved me from the blizzard the other night?_'

'_Yeah, absolutely! I've got to thank the guy that saved my best friend,_' he smiled weakly. I nodded, and looked to Taichi, who was watching curiously. I motioned for him to come over, and he joined us.

'_Taichi, this is my best friend since I was a pup, Roxas. Roxas, this is the human that saved me from the blizzard the other night, Taichi,_' I introduced. Roxas dipped his head in greeting to Taichi with a smile still on his muzzle.

'_It's nice to meet you, Taichi. You have my thanks for saving my best friend,_' he told the brunette.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Roxas. Yamato was really pissed off and worried when Takeru told us all that Xemnas wouldn't allow your mate or healer to get you any medicine, but I'm glad we made it," Taichi said with a grin. He looked nervous, however, when he saw Axel sitting nearby, watching him warily.

'_Oh, sorry, this is my mate, Axel,_' Roxas apologized. '_He's always really protective of me, and he's been even more protective ever since I fell ill._'

"It's nice to meet you, Axel," Taichi told the red-furred ookami, and Axel relaxed at the brunette's kindness. He nodded in greeting, and Taichi turned back to Roxas. "So, you guys have been friends since you were pups?"

'_Yeah, we've been friends for 13 years now,_' the blonde smiled.

'_I hate to interrupt, but I think it's time to get a move on,_' came another voice. I looked to see Roxas's twin brother, Ventus, sitting nearby his mother, Cloud, with a happy smile on his face.

'_Good to see you, too, Ven,_' I chuckled. '_But you're right; we need to head out._'

'_We'll catch up later,_' Cloud assured me.

Looking at my friends who were going with me, I told them, '_Stay here. I'm going to search for Xaldin before Xemnas gets too far away._'

'_I'm coming with you,_' Takeru growled firmly. '_Xaldin may be wary unless I come with. I was the one always reporting to him how Xion and Ken were holding up, after all._'

'_All right, fine,_' I relented, and then we went outside. After a few minutes of searching, my brother called me over.

'_Yamato, over here,_' he said. I was quick to join him, and we found a passed out Xaldin lying on the ground by the entrance to the alpha's den. Lexaeus was nowhere to be seen. Takeru began to wake Xaldin by gently shaking his shoulder with one paw. '_Xaldin. Xaldin, wake up. It's me, Takeru._' The large black ookami jolted, waking up with a start.

'_What?! What happened?!_' he gasped, and then he saw Takeru. '_Takeru?! What are you doing here? Saix will kill you!_'

'_Don't worry, Xaldin. Yamato's here, and we're going to take down Xemnas,_' Takeru assured the older ookami with a smile. Xaldin's eyes widened in shock, and he looked to see me standing behind Takeru.

'_Yamato! It's good to see you, but I'm shocked you're here!_' he told me.

'_Xaldin, I'm glad to see you, too, and I hate to stop you, but do you know where Xemnas is?_' I asked.

'_Yes. Lexaeus knocked me out so I wouldn't tell anyone, but Xemnas, Saix, and Lexaeus are hiding near the alpha temple,_' he informed us.

'_Thanks, Xaldin. Xion and Ken are with the others that could escape, and they're all safe,_' Takeru promised him. Xaldin sighed in relief, and thanked us before Takeru and I helped him to the sick den. Zexion tended to him as we left with Taichi and Hikari.

'_Just keep quiet, you two,_' I warned as we made our way to the alpha temple. '_I don't want any of them to hear your voices._' Suddenly, a chilling voice spoke.

'_Good to see you've come to your doom, Yamato,_' the voice sneered from the rocks above us. '_And you've brought friends to see you die and suffer with you._'

'_Xemnas!_' I gasped, staring at him in shock.

A/N: Sorry about the cliffy, but this chapter is a full 8 pages long! I needed to stop it at some point before it became too long. R&R, peeps!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: All right, I'm on a roll! This is going well, and I like it a lot so far. I apologize for not updating any of my other fics, but I promise, I'll get to them. I swear! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Ookami Loyalty

Chapter 4

'_Xemnas!_' I gasped, staring at him in shock. He had gotten bigger since I had last seen him, that much was for certain. Saix glared at me from his side, and Lexaeus, Xigbar, Larxene, Vexen, and Marluxia stood nearby, watching us with gleaming, bloodthirsty eyes.

'_Address him as alpha, scum!_' Saix growled, and I glared at him.

'_Never,_' I spat. Saix bristled furiously, stepping forward as though he was about to attack me, but Xemnas stopped him.

'_Calm yourself, Saix,_' he urged his mate. '_He'll learn, but if he doesn't, I'll let you kill his friends and those humans._'

'_If you touch them, I'll rip your throat out,_' I snarled, showing my full set of teeth. Xemnas laughed evilly.

'_As if you could take all of us on by yourself!_' Xigbar scoffed.

'_He doesn't need to!_' Axel's voice yelled, and he, Cloud, Ventus, Neku, Joshua, Sora, and Riku were gathered behind us in front of the sick den.

'_Yamato has the support of those you've hurt, and of those who feel betrayed by you, Xemnas,_' Cloud growled. I noticed Xemnas's group of ookamis begin to shuffle nervously, all except for Saix and Xemnas himself. Xemnas glared at the ones who had turned against him, and then we all lined up, with Joshua and Neku going against Larxene, Sora and Riku against Vexen, Axel against Marluxia, Cloud against Lexaeus, Ventus against Xigbar, Takeru and Hikari against Saix, and Taichi and me against Xemnas.

'_Attack,_' came Xemnas's order to his group, and they lunged at our group, howling and snarling. Xemnas and I circled each other, and I had Taichi stand a little ways away as we did. I could feel the brunette's worried and focused gaze on me as I stared my opponent down.

I feigned a move off to the side, and Xemnas jerked to move that way, but I immediately shot at him, tackling him powerfully and digging my claws into his shoulder. He yelped as my sharp claws tore into him, and then twisted around and bit down hard on my right front leg. I gave a pained cry as he clamped down, refusing to let go, and then rolled him over, feeling the fiery pain shoot up my leg as I did so, and then kicked at his belly and underside, clawing him with my hind claws. He shrieked in pain, releasing my leg from his jaws, and I kicked him hard enough that he flew off of me.

The cruel ookami landed with a heavy thud a few feet away, and I quickly got to my feet, trying to shake off the pain in my leg. It was difficult, but I barely managed to do so before Xemnas and I clashed, our fangs and claws meeting powerfully. We snarled and snapped at each other, and this went on for a several minutes. Eventually, we broke apart, panting heavily. We stared each other down, making sure to move when the other did.

"Yamato, on your left!" Taichi warned, and I barely dodged a blow from Saix. Takeru tackled the blunette as Hikari rejoined her brother, and he wrapped his arm around her protectively.

'_How dare you interfere, human fools!_' Saix snarled, and leapt at them, his fangs bared.

'_NO!_' I screamed, and smashed into Saix, digging my fangs into his shoulder, and sending him flying into Xemnas. '_Don't touch him,_' I hissed. The pair crashed against the rocks, and Xemnas told Saix something before he howled, signaling to the remaining ookamis on his side to run. Xemnas, Saix, Xigbar, Lexaeus, Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene all fled, leaving Vexen behind, who was already dead. All of the ookamis that fled were seriously injured, even Xemnas and Saix. I started after them, but gasped in pain from my injured leg.

'_Yamato! Are you okay?_' Takeru demanded, hurrying to my side. Taichi and Hikari came over and stood nearby as my brother examined me worriedly.

'_Don't worry, Takeru. Xemnas just bit my leg pretty hard,_' I assured him. Taichi came to my side, rubbing behind my ears, and I smiled up at him.

"You were very brave, Yamato," he told me softly, and I gave a pleased rumbling noise in my chest at the praise. "Thank you for saving us. I was so scared I couldn't move, but you had the courage to stop Saix before he could hurt us, maybe even kill us. So thank you."

'_You're welcome, Taichi,_' I told him with a soft smile. '_Remember, I'm loyal to you. And besides that, I care._'

"Still," he insisted, giving me a sad smile.

'_What's wrong, Taichi?_' I asked, noticing the sadness in his eyes.

"I just know that we'll have to part ways now," he sighed. My sapphire eyes widened marginally, and I whimpered very quietly.

'_Sorry to interrupt, but I need to tend to your leg before it becomes infected, Yamato,_' Zexion murmured, coming over with his medical supplies. '_Then you're going to rest._'

'_We're talking when I wake up,_' I told the brunette firmly, and he nodded. I then limped after Zexion into the sick den, where he cleaned my leg and applied an herbal ointment to prevent it from becoming infected. The slate-furred ookami then bandaged it, and forced me to lie down near Roxas before he left to tend to the others.

'_What's wrong, Yamato?_' my best friend asked as I lowered my head onto my paws with a heavy sigh.

'_Taichi thinks we're parting ways now that this is over,_' I told him privately. '_But I don't know how to break it to him that I'm gonna change him so he can't leave._'

'_Then don't tell him. Just change him, and he'll have to stay,_' Roxas shrugged. I nodded.

'_I just don't want him to hate me for it,_' I mumbled.

'_When the change is complete, just tell him what happens when loyal ookamis are separated from their human. He'll understand,_' the blonde assured me. I gave a small nod, and then curled up against him and fell asleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I woke up later, it was to Taichi gently petting me along my head and back. I could hear his even breathing and smell his wonderful scent. Twitching my ears, I opened my eyes and raised my head with a yawn, looking back at him.

"Hey," he greeted softly, a sad look in his brown eyes.

'_Hey,_' I mumbled back. I noticed that the sick den was empty, and asked, '_Where's Roxas?_'

"He's back in his den with Axel," the brunette answered.

'_Oh,_' I sighed. '_Taichi, we need to talk about going our own ways._'

"I know. I don't want to go, Yamato, I really don't, but as a human, I can't live among ookamis," he murmured. "I wouldn't be able to survive."

'_Actually, you could,_' I told him, and began to pin him, placing my paws carefully on his arms.

"Y-Yamato? What are you doing?" he asked nervously.

'_You know how I said before that the other reason why many humans aren't known to survive with loyal ookamis?_' I started, and he nodded hesitantly. '_Well, you're gonna experience why. See, humans didn't vanish when partnered with ookamis. They just never returned to civilization due to their change._'

"Wait, what do you—" he started to say, but then I bit down on the side of his neck, allowing the venom from my fangs to flow into him. He gave a cry of pain, but then I released his neck as he passed out from the venom's effects, and Zexion came over.

'_I see you had this planned,_' he remarked.

'_Of course,_' I smirked. '_I wasn't about to let him leave. And I certainly can't go with him back to the humans._'

'_Understandable. After all, everyone wants you as alpha, even if you didn't have the right,_' the slate-furred ookami told me.

'_Good to know,_' I grinned at the healer. A sudden cry from Hikari sounded, and my ears twitched, but I didn't react otherwise. '_Sounds like Takeru has just started Hikari's change, too._'

'_You two are sneaky brothers, and very clever,_' Zexion commented with a faint smirk. '_You planned on not letting them leave you, huh?_'

'_Of course not. Besides, I love Taichi. I'm certain of it by now,_' I murmured.

'You weren't certain before?'

'_Not quite. But when I defended him and Hikari from Saix, that was when I figured it out._'

'_At least you know for sure,_' Zexion nodded. '_You can stick around if you'd like, but you need to go to the alpha temple soon. After all, you're our alpha now. I'll send Cloud and Axel with you, if you would prefer_?'

'_Actually, I'd prefer if you and Cloud would join me,_' I replied. '_Roxas and Axel need each other, and Cloud would be willing to come as extra protection. And as for why I chose you, I'll need my pack's healer to guide me through it._'

'_Understood,_' Zexion smiled slightly. '_Go ahead and let Cloud know. I'll make sure Taichi is settled before leaving Mimi to care for him and Hikari._'

'_Thanks again, Zex,_' I nodded, and left to find Cloud. I spotted him lying with Roxas, licking his son's head gently as my best friend slept. '_Heya Cloud,_' I greeted as I approached.

'_Hello, Yamato. What's up?_' he asked.

'_I need you to go with Zexion and me to the alpha temple for the ceremony tonight,_' I told him, and his blue eyes widened slightly, but he nodded.

'_I would be honored,_' he smiled. '_By the way, I heard Taichi's shout earlier. I'm assuming you've begun the changing process?_'

'_You're assumption would be correct,_' I chuckled. '_Zexion is going to leave Taichi and Hikari under Mimi's care while we're gone, and then he'll take over when we return._'

'_All right. I'll just let Ventus and Roxas know, and then I'll be ready,_' he said, and I nodded before returning to the sick den. Zexion had just finished speaking with Mimi, and she gently set Hikari down on the soft bedding next to her brother.

'_Ready to go, Zexion?_' I asked.

'_Yes, I was just finishing up,_' he nodded. Mimi smiled at me brightly.

'_It's good to see you're back, Yamato. And don't worry, I'll take good care of these two,_' she promised.

'_Thanks, Mimi. I trust you,_' I told her, and she giggled before shooing us out.

'_Give that female control of my den, and she kicks us out,_' Zexion sighed.

'_Eh, don't worry about it, Zex. You'll get control back soon enough,_' I chuckled. He merely rolled his eyes before we got Cloud. Once we were all ready, the three of us left, heading for the alpha temple.

You see, all new alphas must go to the alpha temple, where we get blessed by the alphas of the past who died or were killed. Those who died but weren't good alphas or abused their pack mates were never able to go to the sky forest, as we call it. The sky forest is a wonderful place where prey is rich and plentiful, the water is fresh and pure, and it's always warm, according to the legends. I couldn't wait for it, and besides, I was ready. I should have been the one to take over when the last alpha, Leon, died, but Xemnas took control before anyone could. Ironically, it should have been Cloud, who was Leon's mate, that would become alpha, but since Xemnas took the position, things have changed. Now I'll become alpha, and I promise to treat my pack members well. I won't be cruel like Xemnas was.

It had been a few hours for the trek, and we eventually made it to the entrance to the temple. Zexion, Cloud, and I glanced at each other before entering, and we used our sharp senses to make it to the farthest point in the cavern. Once there, Cloud spoke up.

'_I'm not allowed to go any further. Only the new alpha and his healer can go on from here,_' he explained.

'_No worries, Cloud. We'll be back soon,_' I told him, and he nodded, his blue eyes glowing in the dark somewhat. Zexion and I pushed on, and he paused at the bottom of the naturally-formed steps that led up to the altar.

'_Go on ahead. Only the alpha can go up there,_' he murmured. I nodded, and with a semi-nervous swallow, I climbed up the rocks, where I sat under the altar, and gazed up at the moon. It was, surprisingly, full tonight, and I gave the customary long, low howl to it, echoed by Zexion and Cloud, before lying down and closing my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in the alpha temple anymore. I was in a forest, and there was no snow present. I sat up quickly, looking about before realizing I was in the sky forest.

'_Calm down, Yamato,_' a familiar voice chuckled, and I looked to see Leon standing nearby. He approached me with a smile, and I began to bow to him respectfully, but he shook his head. '_There's no need to bow, new alpha. We are equals, and always have been. I've never seen myself as better than anyone else in the pack. And we are now even more of equals due to your new position in the pack._'

'_Thank you, Leon,_' I murmured, my voice humble. Hesitantly, I asked, '_Are my parents here?_'

'_We are,_' Natsuko's voice echoed in my mind, and I looked to see her and my father approaching us.

'_I'm so happy to see you guys are here,_' I whimpered, nuzzling them. It had been 5 years since they had die during a stampede of caribou while hunting, but I still missed them, even if I never said it aloud.

'_Of course we're here, Yamato,_' my father, Hiroaki, smiled. '_We wouldn't miss your alpha ceremony for the world._'

'_Thank you…_' I murmured.

'_Sorry to interrupt, but the ceremony needs to start,_' Leon interrupted with a sheepish look. I turned to him and nodded, and some of the old alphas of the past joined us. There was Aqua, the only female alpha, Eraqus, the first alpha, Zack, a kindhearted ookami that ruled as alpha before Leon and after Aqua, and Ansem (the Wise), the second alpha who ruled before Aqua. They had all lived for a long time, hence the reason there weren't many.

'_Good to see our new alpha will be better than the last,_' Zack chuckled, but yelped as Aqua cuffed him over the ear with one paw.

'_Hush, Zack. Of course he will. Yamato has always been a kind-hearted soul,_' she said. I looked at her, startled, and then lowered my ears, feeling ashamed.

'_You mean I __**was**__ always a kind-hearted soul,_' I muttered.

'_You're speaking of Taichi, aren't you?_' Ansem guessed. At my nod, he chuckled, making me look at him, surprised. '_Do not fret, my boy. You did what you had to in order to prevent yourself and him from suffering. I can assure you he won't want to be around you in the beginning, and he will be greatly confused, but he will come to terms with his situation._'

'_And I know you two will have beautiful pups,_' Aqua giggled, making me blush slightly. Eraqus cleared his throat, and the prior alphas glanced at him before lining up before me, Leon in front of me, and Eraqus at the very end.

'_I give you my blessing, as long as you uphold your courage in any and all situations, and are not afraid to show when you lose that courage,_' Leon told me, resting his nose on my head for a brief moment, causing a jolt to run through my body. He stepped back after a few seconds, and stood off to the side. Then Zack stepped forward.

'_I give you my blessing to always know when to forgive, and to be a kindhearted alpha to your pack members and friends,_' he murmured, and rested his nose on my head like Leon had, causing a jolt to run through me like before. Like Leon, he stepped aside, and then Aqua stepped forward.

'_I give you my blessing to always be gentle with your friends, family, and future pack members, and to defend them with your life to the end,_' she whispered, and touched my forehead with her nose. A jolt ran through me again, and then Aqua stepped away to stand beside Leon. Ansem stepped forward next.

'_I give you my blessing to always make wise decisions, and to learn from those that aren't as wise,_' he said, and touched his nose to my forehead like the others had, and then stepped away after the jolt ran through my body. Once Ansem was standing next to Aqua, Eraqus stepped forward.

'_Yamato, I give you my blessing to be the greatest alpha you can be, combining all of your blessings from the other past alphas, and utilizing them to the best of your ability,_' he rumbled, and instead of touching my forehead with his nose, he placed his right front paw on my left shoulder. A powerful jolt of energy rushed through me, and I shivered lightly at the sensation. He removed his paw, and the feeling stopped. '_Your ceremony is complete, Yamato. You are now the official alpha of the pack. May you always have good fortune in the future, and use your judgment wisely._'

'_Thank you, Eraqus,_' I thanked him gratefully. Looking at the others who had blessed me, I thanked them, too. I then turned to my parents. '_Am I allowed to share my experience with my pack mates? Or is this something only for me?_'

'_It's up to you, Yamato,_' my mother smiled.

'_It can be your own private treasure, or you can tell everyone,_' my father told me.

'_I think I'll keep it to myself until I have pups, and then I'll share with my pups when they're older,_' I decided. My parents nodded in approval of my decision, and then they nuzzled me.

'_We have to go now, Yamato, but know that we're always here to help if you truly need us,_' Hiroaki said, and I gave a soft whine, but nodded in understanding.

'_Okay. I love you Mom and Dad,_' I whispered, and they smiled softly before disappearing.

'_The ceremony has ended, and Zexion and Cloud are waiting for you at the bottom of the altar. Good luck, Yamato,_' the past alphas echoed in unison before vanishing, and then everything went dark.

I opened my eyes again to discover I was back in the temple. Raising my head, I looked to the bottom to see Zexion and Cloud waiting anxiously by the steps.

'_Yamato? Are you all right?_' Cloud called up to me.

'_Yes, the ceremony is complete, and I'm officially the alpha,_' I grinned, and got to my paws before climbing down the steps and rejoining my friends. '_Let's go home. I'm sure everyone's waiting for us._' The pair nodded, and we left for home. Surprisingly, neither of them asked about my experience, but I didn't mind. When we got back, I got antsy about seeing Taichi, and the pair with me chuckled, making sure no one bugged me about the ceremony as I passed. I hurried into the sick den, where Takeru was lying next to Hikari, watching her as she seemed to be wracked with pain. I knew why, though; it was due to the change in her body from transformation from human to ookami. She shook and shuddered heavily from it, and I sighed, feeling sorry for her.

'_Hi Yamato,_' my brother greeted as I approached. '_How'd it go?_'

'_It went well, and I'm officially alpha,_' I told him with a small smile. '_How's Hikari holding up?_'

'_She's doing fine,_' Mimi assured us as she came over. '_As is Taichi._' She gave us a broad grin, and then told me privately, '_Taichi's been muttering your name in his sleep._'

My eyes widened in surprise, and I asked, '_In a good way?_'

'_Of course! I wouldn't steer you wrong there, Yamato~_' she giggled, and then walked out. Once she was gone, I went over to lie next to Taichi, and began my wait for when his change was complete.

A/N: Happy belated Valentine's Day, everyone! Sorry I didn't post this sooner, I actually didn't get to go on my laptop at all yesterday, but I'm glad I posted this now! R&R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: All right! Another chapter! Finally, things will get even more interesting… *cackles with evil grin* Also, this chapter starts right after Taichi passed out from Yamato's bite. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Ookami Loyalty

Chapter 5

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

I couldn't believe it. Yamato had bitten me. He had mentioned something about changing me, but I didn't understand. I had passed out due to something from his bite on my neck, and I could barely move from the agony.

I vaguely remember the blonde ookami saying that the reason some of the humans partnered with ookamis were reported dead or missing was due to their change, yet I was confused. What did he mean? Why me? Was Hikari okay, or was she bitten as well? I hope she's safe…

X*X(3 Days Later)X*X

I could feel my body changing subtly with every passing minute. The fiery pain that burned through my entire being was beginning to subside by now, but just barely. I had begun to feel that something was wrong. I felt my body starting to move in ways it shouldn't. My sense of smell and hearing had become sharper, and I could smell an amazingly wonderful scent next to me, very close, with even breathing that went with it.

Suddenly, the burning pain in my body began to fade, and I struggled to try and open my eyes. A whimper escaped me as I made the effort, and it sounded like a canine's, which shocked me. Finally, I managed to get my eyes open, and I could immediately tell my eyesight was much sharper than before. A shuffling sounded next to me, and I quickly looked to see Yamato moving near me, watching me with concern.

'_Are you all right?_' he asked, and I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, I tried to think of a response.

'_What happened?_' I wondered.

'_I changed you into an ookami, Taichi,_' he told me. A feeling of dread washed over me, and I immediately started looking myself over in a panic. I saw that I was covered in brown fur; I even had paws, claws, and a tail, too. Another whimper sounded from my chest, but it quickly changed into a growl.

'_How could you do this to me, Yamato?!_' I demanded furiously. '_I don't want this! What makes you think this is okay?!_'

'_Taichi, let me explain, please,_' he begged, lowering his ears.

'_No! Why should I? I trusted you completely! I hate you!_' I spat, and shakily got up before leaving.

'_Taichi!_' a familiar voice sounded in my head, and I looked in horror to see my own sister as an ookami running over to me.

'_Hikari…_' I breathed in shock, and then tore out of the ookamis' home, away from them. Why would he do this to me? WHY?! An unbelievable amount of hurt and anger surged through my chest, and I just kept running until I stumbled by a river, collapsing and sobbing on the ground.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I knew he wouldn't like it, but I didn't expect him to hate me for it… I let out a choked sob before curling up into a ball and whimpering and crying. Soon enough, I heard someone enter the sick den, and I glanced up to see Hikari watching me, pity in her light brown gaze.

'_I'm sorry he didn't take it as well as I did, Yamato,_' she murmured, sitting next to me.

'_He said he hates me, Hikari. How can I have a chance with him now?_' I whispered.

'_I can talk to him first, if you want,_' she offered. '_Come with me, and you can explain when I leave._'

'_All right…_' I mumbled, and carefully got to my paws before shaking myself off and following Hikari to find her brother.

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

When I opened my eyes, I realized I wasn't quite alone. Startled, I scrambled to my feet, but relaxed when I realized it was only Hikari, who was now an ookami… I started to leave again, but she stopped me.

'_Taichi, can we please talk?_' she asked.

'_What about? You mean how Yamato changed us both?_' I growled.

'_Actually, Takeru changed me, not Yamato,_' she snapped. '_Now sit down and listen for once._' I complied, sitting down and facing the icy river. '_Taichi, Yamato changed you with good reason. I can't tell you that reason because it's not my place, but I'll tell you the minimum. Takeru told me that when a human gains a loyal ookami, they form a bond, whether they realize it or not. That bond is what prevents separation between the ookami and human. If the ookami or human separate from the other, then both will suffer from a mental breakdown. It's incredibly painful for both, and Takeru's witnessed this before, as has Yamato. Do you understand why now?_'

'_Somewhat… But who's going to tell me the other reason?_' I asked.

'_I will,_' Yamato's voice spoke up, and he emerged from the underbrush, his expression upset. He glanced at Hikari, and she nodded. '_Thanks Hikari. Takeru's waiting for you. We'll meet you back there._'

'_Okay. Be nice to each other, okay?_' she ordered, and the blonde ookami nodded.

'_Of course,_' he said, and she left, leaving us alone. Yamato sat down next to me, gazing at the river, a hurt and wounded look on his face.

'_What did you need to tell me, Yamato?_' I asked, my voice harsh.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I winced at his harsh tone, my ears lowered miserably. Taking a deep breath, I began my explanation.

'_What Hikari told you was true. Loyal ookamis and their humans lose their minds when separated for too long of a time,_' I started. '_But I also heard what you and Riku talked about yesterday, when we were making our way to the pack. Have those feelings you have or had towards me changed at all?_' Taichi was silent for a long time, and I tried to patiently wait for him to reply, but it was difficult. I remained as still as I possibly could, all except for breathing, and eventually, he replied.

'_I do,_' he mumbled. '_I do still love you, despite the fact that you've done this to me. In all my research and wildest dreams, I never thought that this was possible, to become an ookami like this._'

'_Yes, it's always been possible. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I was afraid you would become wary of me if I told you,_' I sighed. '_And…to be completely honest, Taichi, I'm…in love with you, too. I realized I truly love you when I put my own self at risk to save you and Hikari. I just…I want you to be mine, forever, and that's also why I changed you instead of handing off the alpha position to someone else so I could follow you around. Besides, an ookami doesn't belong in civilization; he belongs in a pack in the wilderness._'

'_I'm sorry, Yamato, for not letting you explain before,_' he apologized. '_I don't hate you, and I shouldn't have ever told you that._'

'_Don't worry, Taichi. I'll give you some time to think about our relationship if you want,_' I offered. '_But would you be willing to share the alpha den with me?_'

'_I don't think I'll need that time, Yamato. I…belong with you now,_' he told me, giving me a slight smile. My eyes widened in shock, and I quickly nuzzled my new mate, licking his cheek lovingly.

'_Thank you, Taichi. You have no idea how happy you've made me by becoming my mate,_' I whispered, tears forming in my eyes out of pure joy.

'_You're welcome, Yamato,_' Taichi murmured. His next words caught me off guard, though. '_But won't you want a mate that can bear you pups?_'

'_Um…about that…_' I chuckled, embarrassed. '_Male ookamis can bear pups when in heat, just like females._'

'_What._'

'_Yeah… it's possible, and it's only because there's not as many female ookamis as males,_' I explained. Taichi stared at me in shock before sighing.

'_I guess that means I'll be the one getting pregnant, huh?_' he assumed.

'_Yes, that's right,_' I nodded. '_Sorry…_'

'_I guess it's okay,_' he muttered.

'_Ready to go home?_' I asked, and he nodded. I led my new mate home with a big grin on my face, and when we got back, I saw Roxas, Takeru, and Hikari waiting for us. As we approached, Roxas ran over to me, and we bumped heads gently as we did when we were pups.

'_I see you two made up,_' he smiled.

'_Of course they did, Roxas,_' Hikari giggled as she joined us with my brother. '_I had no doubts that Taichi would forgive Yamato._'

'_And not just that. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you two are mates now, huh?_' Takeru guessed with a sly smirk.

'_Yep, that's right,_' I confirmed. Looking at Taichi, I added, '_This is all your fault, you know._'

'_Me! Why is it my fault?!_' Taichi demanded.

'_Because you couldn't resist the big bad wolf,_' I smirked at him. The trio with us shook their heads, but smiled nonetheless, and then left to their appropriate dens. I noticed Axel waiting for Roxas, and when he saw me looking at him, he gave me a sly and knowing look before vanishing into his den with his mate. I heard Taichi yawn next to me, and I smiled softly at him before speaking.

'_Ready to go to sleep?_' I asked. He nodded once, and I led him up to the alpha's den, where I curled up on the bedding. I realized Taichi hadn't joined me, and I looked to see the brunette standing nearby, seeming awkward. '_What's wrong?_'

'_Do you mind if we sleep in human form?_' he questioned, sounding almost nervous about asking. I gave him a gentle smile before nodding.

'_Of course,_' I told him, and stood before shifting into my human form. I crawled over to a shallow dip in the rock, where a fur blanket was, and I pulled it out.

'_How do I shift to human form?_' Taichi asked. Chuckling, I went over and stroked his ears.

"Just remember what it feels like to be human," I told him, and he nodded before closing his eyes briefly and shifting to human form, dressed in a simple pair of blue pants and a lighter blue t-shirt.

"I'm human again!" he grinned.

"Not completely. You still have your ears and tail," I pointed out as we lay down together on the bedding.

"Damn…" he sighed, flicking his ears. My tail wagged a bit as I pulled the blanket over us.

"Don't worry, Chi, I still love you," I laughed lightly, and kissed him on the lips. Surprised, he didn't react at first, but then kissed me back. We parted, and I smirked at him as he blushed. "You okay?" I asked teasingly.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine, but w-what's with the nickname?" he stuttered, still pink in the face. I kissed his the tip of his nose, and then wrapped my arms around him before kissing his lips lightly once more.

"I just feel like calling you that. Goodnight, Taichi. I love you," I murmured before closing my eyes.

"Goodnight, Yamato. I love you, too," he whispered before snuggling up against my chest, causing me to sigh happily before going to sleep.

X*X(6 Weeks Later)X*X

Taichi and I had become inseparable over the past six weeks. Despite the brunette being my mate, I had made Cloud my second-in-command, which everyone approved of. I didn't want to put so much pressure and stress on Taichi, which he understood. He didn't feel like he was the right one for the position, anyway.

Sora, Riku, Neku, and Joshua had all asked to stay with us, especially seeing as Xemnas wasn't actually dead, and they wanted to stay close to me, seeing as we were all such good friends. No one in the pack minded the new additions, and actually enjoyed their company. It was a nice change instead of having strictly ookamis around.

Roxas had made a full recovery from his illness, and he and Axel had actually managed to mate without stress or fear, all due to Xemnas being gone. Roxas was now pregnant with Axel's pup or pups, and they were both extremely excited. My best friend, though, even though he was just as happy and excited as Axel, was also nervous about labor, but was often comforted by his mother. Cloud often reassured his younger son about how, although it would be incredibly painful, it would be completely worth it in the end when he got to hold his pup or pups. It sounded like something completely worthwhile, and I was eager to be a father myself. Besides, Hikari and Takeru would be an aunt and uncle for Taichi and my pups.

I knew Taichi was in heat by now, though, judging by how tired and warm he'd been for the past few days. We would lie in our bedding together, and he would squirm until he managed to fall asleep against me. I merely tried to keep him comfortable during the night so he wouldn't suffer from heatstroke. Finally, though, it was nighttime after his fourth day of heat, and I decided to say something to him.

"Taichi?" I said, standing near the bedding as he crawled under the blanket. We were both in human form, as we tended to sleep in now.

"What's up, Yamato?" he asked, glancing up at me before squirming again.

"I don't know any other way to tell you, but…I think you're in heat," I told him, and his eyes widened in horror and his ears flattened against his head.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Yama?!" he yelped, his expression panicked as he referred to me by his pet name for me. He swallowed hard before speaking again. "Is there any way to be certain?"

"I can ask Cloud or Roxas," I offered, and my mate nodded before I quickly left, shifting into wolf form as I went, and going to find Cloud.

'_What's wrong, Yamato?_' the larger, blonde furred ookami asked worriedly as I entered.

'_I think Taichi's in heat, but we wanted to make sure, and I thought you would be the best to ask,_' I explained, and Cloud gave a single nod before following me back to my den. When we got back, I managed to detect an erotic scent coming from the brunette, and I struggled to control the powerful urge to fuck him senseless right then and there.

'_So, Taichi, I have a few questions for you so I can confirm if you're in heat or not,_' Cloud began. '_Have you been feeling very warm lately?_' Taichi nodded. '_Have you been tired often?_' Another nod. '_And one last question. Have you been feeling a strong urge to mate?_' One last, hesitant nod. '_All right. Well, you're definitely in heat, and if you want the heat to end, you need to mate._'

"But I don't think I'm ready to have pups, Cloud!" my mate whimpered, looking terrified.

'_Don't worry so much, Taichi,_' Cloud soothed. He gave me a look, and I stepped out to give them some privacy, but Cloud let me in on the conversation anyway as I waited outside of my den. '_Look, if it makes you feel any better, when I got my first heat when I was mated with Leon, the alpha before Xemnas, I wasn't ready, either. But when I first felt them move inside of me, I knew I wouldn't give them up for the world. And now, look at them. I have Roxas and Ventus, and although they're all grown up, I still care for them like they're pups._' I could hear the pride in Cloud's tone, and I wanted to have that pride with my mate and future pups, too…

"You mean that?" Taichi whispered.

'_Of course. I wouldn't steer you wrong, Taichi. I looked after Takeru and Yamato when their parents died, so I know Yamato well, almost like my own son. So trust me when I say he'd be happy to be a father and help you through your pregnancy,_' the older ookami promised. '_Besides, there's no guarantee that you'll conceive the first time you mate._'

"I'd rather not put all of my hopes on that," my mate muttered. "But thank you, Cloud. You're the best when it comes to advice."

'_No, thank you, Taichi. It's refreshing to see a happier Yamato. You've brought light back into his life,_' Cloud told him. '_He was always somewhat of a brooder after his parents died from a caribou stampede five years ago, and was fiercely protective of Takeru. Now that he has you, he's more open._'

"Then, you're welcome," the brunette murmured, and then Cloud called me in. As I walked in, the blonde gave my mate a reassuring lick on the cheek before padding out quietly. I shifted back to human form and sat down on the bedding with Taichi.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? It's gonna be very difficult for me to stop once I start, Chi," I told him softly, stroking his cheek gently. I could feel myself trembling with the overwhelming urge to fuck him hard and deep, and I knew he could see it.

"I can't wait much longer, Yamato, and neither can you," he pointed out. "I can just see how eager you are for this."

"Sorry…" I apologized.

"It's okay," he smiled reassuringly. Taichi kissed me lightly, but I decided to deepen it quickly. I was very eager for this, after all. I ran my tongue gently along his bottom lip, only slipping it into his mouth when he parted his lips for me. We moaned into the other's mouth as our tongues battled for dominance, a faint, desperate whimper escaping Taichi as he pulled himself closer to me.

We broke apart for air, breathing heavily, and I quickly yanked off his shirt before pulling off mine, and then I latched onto his collarbone. As I nipped, licked, and sucked harshly at the tanned skin, I noticed the faint scar from the bite mark I had left when I changed him, and smirked against his skin. When I pulled back, I grinned wickedly as I saw the forming hickey.

"Y-Yama… Please don't…t-tease,' the brunette stammered, but I couldn't resist kissing the scar on his neck, making him yelp and grip my back tightly, digging his nails in. "A-ah! N-not there, Yama! Too sensitive!"

"Oh, it's too sensitive, huh?" I chuckled darkly, and licked the bite mark. This time, his grip on my back tightened considerably, digging his nails in deeper, and he gave a strangled moan.

"Please not there, Yama!" he begged, and so I decided to be merciful and not push my luck.

"Does it hurt?" I whispered to him.

"Sorta," he admitted, and I instantly felt bad.

"Sorry, Chi…" I mumbled. "I didn't realize it hurt you…"

"It's okay, Yama," he breathed. "Just hurry, I need you…inside of me…" He was blushing by the time he finished speaking, and I chuckled.

"All right, I'm going," I murmured, and nipped at one of his ears gently, causing him to gasp loudly as I tugged off his pants and mine. Taichi gave a desperate whine as I rubbed and stroked at his hardening cock, making mine throb with need from the noise. I held three fingers from my other hand up to the brunette's lips. "Suck," I ordered, and he complied, swirling his tongue around my fingers until they were slick and coated in saliva. Pulling my fingers out, I slipped one into his entrance, making him gasp and clench around it.

"You gotta relax, Chi, or else it's gonna hurt," I told him soothingly, kissing him gently on the lips as I moved my finger in and out of his entrance. Taichi gave a pained whimper as I added the second, scissoring him in the process and stretching him further. "It's okay…" I soothed, stroking his member softly as he relaxed. Finally, I slipped in the third finger, scissoring him widely and making him yelp slightly.

"I just want to make sure I don't hurt you so badly when I enter you, Chi, sorry…" I apologized, but he shook his head.

"D-don't be. I don't w-want it to h-hurt, either," he managed to stammer through gritted teeth. I kissed him deeply and hotly, causing him to moan softly into my mouth. I gave a possessive growl as I caught his bottom lip in my teeth, nibbling gently. Releasing his lip, I withdrew my fingers from his entrance once I felt he was thoroughly prepared, and then smeared my precum over my leaking cock. Once I was finished, I positioned myself at Taichi's entrance.

"Ready?" I asked, kissing his collarbone gently. He nodded against the crook of my neck, making me shudder slightly, and I pressed into him. Taichi gasped sharply as I entered him, and tensed up, making him whine loudly in pain. "You've gotta relax, Chi, or else it's gonna hurt worse," I whispered. Slowly, very slowly, he forced himself to relax, and I continued to push in.

"Easy for you to say! You don't have a dick going into your ass!" he spat.

"I'm sorry, Taichi… Do you want me to stop?" I asked, pausing in my progression, and hoping beyond all hope that he would say no. I wouldn't be able to deal with trying to rid myself of a hard-on, as selfish as that sounds.

"N-no, I wouldn't be able to cope if we stop now," he muttered. I blinked in surprise, but then kissed him hotly as I finished entering him in one smooth thrust. He hissed in pain, the sound being captured by my mouth, and I stilled, waiting for the brunette to adjust to the mass inside of him.

"Tell me when to move," I breathed hotly in his ear, making it twitch.

"Just move now," he grunted, making me blink in surprise again.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah, the pain will be masked by the pleasure," he reasoned. I shrugged, not having an argument for that one, so I began to thrust slowly and carefully. I desperately didn't want to hurt my mate, so I was trying to be careful. That is, until Taichi bit **my** collarbone hard. "Dammit, Yama, faster!" For the third time that night, I blinked in surprise, and then gave a wolfish grin.

"With pleasure~" I growled, and began to thrust harder and faster into my love. He moaned repeatedly, and I was grateful that no one would say anything about this tomorrow. Except for maybe Axel, that pervert. He has no brain to mouth filter, I swear. Thank gods for Roxas, though. He'll keep his mate in line.

As I thrust into Taichi deeper, he suddenly screamed with extreme pleasure, so I knew then that I had hit his sweet spot. A possessive growl tore out of my throat from the sound, and I bit down on his pulse point and sucked, hard. He moaned again, shuddering heavily from the mix of sensations, and gripped my back harder, digging his nails into my skin, making me hiss in slight pain, but my pace didn't break. Finally, I reached in between us and began to pump his leaking cock, causing him to cry out.

"Y-Yama…I-I'm g-gonna—" he began to stutter a minute later, but I sealed my lips over his in a passionate kiss.

"We'll cum together, Chi," I panted against his neck once I pulled away. However, he couldn't hold on much longer, and came into my hand seconds later, howling from the overwhelming pleasure, his cum covering my hand and his stomach.

"Shit!" I growled as I came with a long, low groan, spilling my white-hot seed deep inside of Taichi. I breathed heavily, trying to catch my breath, and then carefully pulled out of my mate, feeling him wince slightly beneath me. "Sorry, Chi…" I mumbled as I rolled over to lie next to him. "You okay?" I asked, concerned, as I gently wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed the back of his neck.

"Y-yeah," he whimpered, shuddering heavily from the feeling. Slowly, he turned in my grip to face me, and kissed my lips softly. I smirked against his lips, and then pulled away to reach down and lick his cum off his stomach. He gasped as my tongue lapped up the sticky substance, and I chuckled darkly.

"Ya like that?" I teased, and then finished up before going to kiss Taichi again. He hesitated, but let me kiss him anyway. I swept my tongue through his mouth, allowing him to taste himself, and he moaned softly into my mouth. I finally pulled back, smirking devilishly at his blushing face. "Let's get some sleep," I suggested, my expression softening, and kissed his forehead lightly before pulling the blanket over us.

"Sounds like a plan," he yawned, snuggling into my chest.

"Goodnight, Chi. I love you," I murmured as I held him close.

"Goodnight, Yama. I love you, too," he breathed, and then we went to sleep.

A/N: Awesome! I finally got the lemon written out, and I love it! Now to work on another fic and take a break from this one. I hope you guys liked the lemon! R&R, peeps!


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